Cars.com Field Trial: Mobile EV Quick-Charging

It might be one of the more embarrassing problems on the road simply because it's so avoidable: running out of gas.

However, its still a big enough problem that AAA recently reminded drivers about the dangers of letting your tank run down to "E."

But what about drivers of electric cars? A recent Cars.com road test put mobile charging to the test. While its not available publicly, the process seems simple enough to implement, and should save EV drivers the burden of calling a tow truck.

According to the website:

An Indianapolis-based company that produces onboard generators with capacities ranging from 12 to 150 kilowatts, Real Power purchased a Level 3 charger and installed both it and a common Level 2 unit on a medium-duty flatbed truck to demonstrate that roadside charging is doable — and also surprisingly simple. AAA recently announced it will conduct similar experiments with a mobile unit equipped with giant batteries.

Real Power's prototype truck admittedly looks inelegant because it employs a kiosk-style Level 3 charger — characteristically the size and shape of a gas pump — at the front of the flatbed. Vincent Laplante, the company's sales and marketing manager, said Real Power is working with the unit's manufacturer, Eaton, to adapt the hardware so it fits under the bed, on the curb side, opposite the generator. The final design will have a long cable and won't require the operator to climb onto the flatbed unless it proves necessary: In instances where the stranded car proves to have a problem aside from a dead battery, it can be winched onboard and ferried away as it would on any flatbed tow truck.